CALIFORNIA RESEARCH BUREAUCALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARYStudies in the News

California -- One Hundred and Fifty Years Ago

January 3, 1853 - "On January 3rd, 1853, the Legislature assembled again in Vallejo for the Fourth Session. Compared with the previous year, conditions were little better, and the weather worse. Transportion and communication, in spite of great effort, fell far short of the needs of the Legislature. Proponents of removal viewed, on the one hand, Sacramento recovering from a flood and, on the other, the town of Benicia offering the free use of its new city hall and a port of call at which all river traffic stopped. Spurred perhaps by the immediate prospect of an uncomfortable session in Vallejo, the Legislature passed a bill on February 4 ordering the seat of government to be moved instantly to the City of Benicia. " www.library.ca.gov/history/previous-ca-capitals.ht

1853 - "Benicia Arsenal - Captain Charles P. Stone, with 21 enlisted men, established Benicia Arsenal as an ordnance depot.... Between 1853 and 1863, Congress authorized $550,000 to be spent on the establishment, and some 15 stone and frame buildings were constructed. The arsenal was first called 'California Ordnance Depot,' then 'Benicia Arsenal Depot,' and finally, 'Benicia Arsenal.' It played an important role in crises such as the Indian wars. Some of its original buildings are in use today." ceres.ca.gov/geo_area/counties/Solano/landmarks.ht

Studies in the News is a very current compilation of items significant to the Legislature and Governor's Office. It is created weekly by the State Library's Research Bureau to supplement the public policy debate in California’s Capitol. To help share the latest information with state policymakers, these reading lists are now being made accessible through the State Library’s website. This week's list of current articles in various public policy areas is presented below.

Service to State Employees:

When available, the URL for the full text of each item is provided.

Items in the State Library collection can be checked out to state officials and staff.

Access to all materials listed will be provided by the State Information Reference Center, either by e-mail to cslsirc@library.ca.gov or by calling 654-0261.

["This report presents data compiled from a survey of California's domestic violence shelters and programs, and identifies and analyzes data compiled by law enforcement, health care providers, and state surveys of women's health, in order to better understand domestic violence prevalence in California"]

["California had fewer drunk driving deaths per miles driven than all but a few states in the nation and has posted one of the biggest drops in the fatality rate in the last 20 years, according to a federal study.... Between 1982 and 2001, the rate of drunk driving deaths in California dropped 70%, from 165 fatalities per 1 million miles driven to 50 deaths, according to a study.... Based on these statistics, California ranked among such states as Utah, Vermont, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York in claiming the lowest drunk driving fatality rates." Los Angeles Times (December 19, 2002) 2.]

["California ranks first nationally in the number of guns made, sold and stolen.... California also has the nation's largest population and ranks 29th in guns stolen per resident. Nearly 1.l7 million guns have been stolen nationwide in the last decade according to a report by the foundation.... ." Associated Press State & Local Wire (December 20, 2002) 1.]

["Hate crimes in the United States increased 21 percent from 8,063 in 2000 to 9,730 in 2001. Most of last year's hate crimes were motivated by racial bias (45 percent) followed by biases against ethnicity or national origin (22 percent), religion (19 percent), sexual orientation (14 percent) and disability (0.3 percent). The most dramatic change noted by the report was a more than 1,600 percent increase in reported hate crimes against Muslims -- a jump from 28 hate incidents in 2000 to 481 last year." San Francisco Chronicle (November 26, 2002) 1.]

Demography and the Social Contract. By Marta Tienda, Population Association of America. Prepared for the Office of Population Research Princeton University. Working Paper No. 2002-04. (The Office, Princeton, New Jersey) 2002. 55 p.; Appendices.

["The United States faces ever more formidable challenges to fulfill its commitment to the democratic values of equity and inclusion as the foreign-born share of the population increases.... A review of historical and contemporary controversies about representation of the foreign born and alien suffrage both illustrates the re-emergence of ascriptive civic hierarchies and highlights some potentially deleterious social and civic consequences of recent demographic trends."]

["Study Shreds Assumptions: The survey shreds some of the more common assumptions about the ethnic group soon to become the nation's largest minority.... According to the study, 57 percent of Hispanics with U.S. born parents identify themselves as Americans.... An overwhelming 89 percent of Hispanics believe that those who immigrate into the U.S. must learn English.... Eighty percent believe their children will get a better education than they did, and 76 percent say the result will be better jobs that pay more money." Denver Post (December 22, 2002) E4.]

["America's metropolitan areas became more integrated during the 1990s, as renovated inner cities attracted whites and immigrants while more blacks moved to the suburbs.... A study ... determined the average white lives in a neighborhood that is 80 percent white, down from 88 percent in 1980, while the average black lives in a neighborhood that is 33 percent white, up from 30 percent." The Press Enterprise (November 28, 2002) A16.]

["Census Finds U.S. Is Older, More Female; Household Size Fell in 20th Century: In 1900, most of the U.S. population consisted of men, younger than 23, who mostly rented homes outside the metropolitan areas. Nearly half of them lived with five or more persons. Today most of the population is female, at least 35, who own homes, mostly in the suburbs. Most live alone or with two other persons.... The U.S. population more than tripled during the 20th century." Washington Times (December 8, 2002) A4.]

["The bioscience industries could radically transform virtually every aspect of our lives, from medicine to human reproduction, from industrial manufacturing to the food we eat. The potential commercial applications are so extensive that state and local governments across the country are eagerly trying to cultivate these industries as engines of economic prosperity. At the same time, concerns and fears in some quarters about the biosciences have led to controversies and calls for caution. The goal of this report is to provide an overview of California’s biosciences industries, and to outline the actual and potential role of state policy with respect to these industries."]

["This report provides an overview of the role of the defense sector in Texas and future opportunities for the state to create employment based on development of new weapons systems, space initiatives and military installations that will come under review in 2005. It also touches upon what the state of Texas needs to accomplish to be competitive during the next Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round in 2005 and lists recommendations for the state to be competitive with other states.

["Examining activities of redevelopment agencies in Alameda, Anaheim, Banning, Oakland, Port Hueneme, and Stanislaus, the study reports that agencies have generally been successful in using Low-Mod Funds to provide affordable housing. In addition to recommending expansion of the majority of redevelopment agencies and housing activities, the study also concludes that a more stringent review of RDA revenues and expenditures and better reporting requirements are necessary to improve delivery of affordable housing to low-income people in California." California Capitol Hill Bulletin (December 18, 2002) p 3.]

["This report identifies two issues that policymakers may want to consider. One deals with the lack of adequate preparation of disadvantaged groups in California graduating from our high schools.... The other finding is that employees (and their families) in small businesses seem to be at a disadvantage, a finding that applies regardless of the educational attainment of the individual.]

["Most American Workers Say Email Helps Them Do Their Jobs And Few Feel Overwhelmed by The Volume of Email They Handle: Research shows that email has become an integral part of 57 million Americans' work lives -- that is more than 60 percent of those employed in the United States and is almost double the number of U.S. workers who used the Internet just two years ago." AScribe Newswire (December 5, 2002) 1.]

["This briefing describes the results of an inquiry conducted ... to provide insights into improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government sponsored international collaboration in science and technology.... Four case studies conducted for the RAND effort provide the research from which we draw lessons learned about linking effectively."]

["Blame All Around in Accounting Board Flop: The bungled naming of a national accounting oversight board ... involved missteps by the chairman, SEC staff and commissioners, according to a report.... The GAO spread blame widely for the debacle that led to three resignations ... gutting the federal government's market-regulation leadership.... The GAO called on the SEC to agree on a clearer process for appointing members to the accounting board, to set criteria for choosing members and to complete background checks earlier." Chicago Tribune (December 20, 2002) 3.]

School Finance: Per-Pupil Spending Differences Between Selected Inner City and Suburban Schools Varied by Metropolitan Area. By The U. S. General Accounting Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) December 2002. 53 p.

["Among the schools GAO reviewed, differences in per-pupil spending between inner city and suburban schools varied across metropolitan areas, with inner city schools spending more in some metropolitan areas and suburban schools spending more in other areas.... In general, higher per-pupil expenditures at any given school were explained primarily by higher staff salaries regardless of whether the school was an inner city or suburban school."]

["In this Issue Brief we take the viewpoint that quality alternative certification programs offer a way to develop a broader pool of prospective teachers while also helping states address concerns about teacher development, professionalism, and retention."]

Business Tax Incentives: Incentives to Employ Workers with Disabilities Receive Limited Use and Have an Uncertain Impact. By United States General Accounting Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) December 2002. 49 p.

["More than 17 million working-age individuals have a self-reported disability that limits work. Their unemployment rate is also twice as high as for those without a work disability.... This report provides information on the current usage of the tax incentives; the incentives' ability to encourage the hiring and retention of workers with disabilities, and options to enhance awareness and usage of the incentives."]

["An essential element to acquiring, developing and retaining high-quality federal employees is agencies' effective use of human capital flexibilities. These flexibilities represent the policies and practices that an agency has the authority to implement in managing its workforce."]

Gone With The Wind: How California is Losing its Clean Power Edge to... Texas??! By Peter Asmus, Pathfinder Communications. Prepared for The Energy Foundation and the Hewlett Foundation (The Energy Foundation, San Francisco, California) 2002. 26 p.

["California, once a world leader on renewable energy, has seen its lead slowly disappear through years of neglect, bureaucratic infighting, political posturing, as well as misguided policies.... A Renewable Portfolio Standard may offer part of the solution to the price volatility, environmental impacts and economic drain of the state's current substantial commitment to traditional fossil fuel technologies."]

["The GAO said in a report that there were 'some indications' that natural gas prices may have been manipulated on the West Coast in the winter of 2000-01. The GAO said that until various federal investigations were complete 'it is not possible to definitely establish whether and how much [energy] prices paid by consumers were affected.'" Los Angeles Times (December 20, 2002) 10.]

["This report assesses the benefits of energy efficiency to the Minnesota state economy, its environment, and its citizens.... This analysis estimates energy efficiency through its effect on energy consumption and economic productivity ... while controlling for price, sectoral composition, and other factors."]

Report Analysis and Information on Four U.S./Canadian Transboundary Species Listed as Threatened or Endangered in the United States. By The U. S. General Accounting Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) October 2002. 50 p.

["The United States and Canada similarly engage in processes -- both on their respective side of the border and in collaboration with one another -- aimed at protecting, monitoring, and facilitating the eventual recovery of the bull trout, grizzly bear, marbled murrelet, and woodland caribou."]

["According to a state panel, California's new growth, covering thousands more acres with impenetrable hard surfaces, is spreading flood risks to new areas and among people who live with a false sense of security.... Meeting over the last six months, the task force issued a total of 38 proposals in its report." Contra Costa Times (December 22, 2002).]

["Administration officials promise the new policy will mean 'no net loss' of wetlands. Under the revised plan, wetlands lost during construction of roads, buildings or other projects will be replaced with newly created or restored wetlands.... The first stage in a multi-year, multi-agency strategy takes effect when the Army Corps of Engineers issues its revision of a much-criticized guidance letter that specifies what kind of mitigation Corps engineers can permit to make up for wetlands lost to development." San Francisco Chronicle (December 27, 2002) A1.]

["In California, we are in the midst of what has been a nearly decade-long program to reform one of the world's most complex and diverse election systems.... The ... restructure, reform, and rebuilding of our election processes must be completely devoid of political debate and must focus solely on logic, common sense, and a review of best practices around the globe."]

["The significance of formula program expenditures in the federal budget has risen steadily over the past decade.... When combined, direct payments and formula grant categories rose from about half of federal spending in 1991 to more than two-thirds in 2001."]

["In fiscal year 2001, the federal government distributed $284 billion through 158 formula grant programs; California received $34 billion for roughly 12 percent of those funds.... This report describes the major factors used by federal formula grant programs to allocate funds and describes how California's share of programs varies by the factors employed."]

Poultry on Antibiotics: Hazards to Human Health. By David Wallinga, and others. (Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, Minnesota)) December 2002. And Of Birds and Bacteria. By Consumer Reports. (Consumers Union, Yonkers, New York) January 2003.

["Three times more antibiotics by weight are fed to poultry in the United States than humans consume, and the poultry industry's use of antibiotics is a health risk to American turkey and chicken eaters, according to two independent studies.... 'Common, brand name poultry products routinely carry at least one disease-causing germ if not more, and these bacteria are often resistant to one or more antibiotics. The resistance we found is for many of the same medicines that doctors rely on for treating people sick with infections,' Dr. Wallinga said." Environmental News Service (December 10, 2002) 1.]

["Study Says Many Terminally Ill Denied 'Good Death': The nation's first state-by-state report on the inadequate care at the end of life was hailed as a 'wake-up call.' . California was graded as providing 'average to poor' care for its terminally ill residents." Sacramento Bee (November 19, 2002) A15.]

[“Future public policy initiatives to strengthen the nation’s health care safety net should recognize the contributions and special mission of many Catholic hospitals in serving the uninsured and underserved communities, according to a report…. In addition [the report] called on Congress to take steps to strengthen sources of existing funding that safety net providers rely on heavily. The association called on federal lawmakers to reverse Medicaid disproportionate share hospital cuts, temporarily increase federal payments to state Medicaid plans, and expand Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage.” BNA’s Health Care Policy Report (November 25, 2002) 1554 p.]

["Medi-Cal Overpaid Millions, Audit Says: The Department of Health Services failed to make sure it was not being overcharged for medical equipment and supplies under Medi-Cal, the state's public insurance plan for low-income residents.... More than $356 million in state and federal money was spent on medical equipment, supplies and hearing aids for Medi-Cal patients in 2001, according to the audit." Associated Press (December 13, 2002) 1.]

["States have taken various approaches to housing issues, including: Including affordable housing strategies in their comprehensive housing strategies; Issuing bonds to assist low- and moderate-income individuals purchase housing; [and] Giving incentives to nonprofit organizations that provide housing for low-income individuals and families. This report highlights some trends that are occurring as states endeavor to ensure that affordable housing is available to residents."]

["The purpose of the operational review was to identify opportunities to modify policies and procedures to significantly streamline the adoptions process.... Our review disclosed a number of inefficient operating practices and a generally lengthy process cycle to complete adoptions.... Reengineering adoptions case-handling practices as discussed in this report should significantly improve the efficiency of the overall adoptions processing activities."]

["The report describes the progress made during the past 2 years toward procuring a single, statewide automated child support system. The proposal included a total system cost estimate of over $1.3 billion covering 10 years. Following an example from a previous state procurement where only a single proposal was received, the project team hired a consultant to examine the reasonableness of the cost, the results of which are still confidential."]

[“Rising housing costs and a sluggish economy contributed to an average 19 percent increase in hunger and homelessness in selected U.S. cities in 2002, according to a survey…. [The survey] found an increase in the number of emergency food requests in each of the 25 cities surveyed. And 22 of the cities reported increases in the need for emergency shelter.”]

["In a sharp reversal from record-high recipient counts immediately before PRWORA's implementation, states on average reduced caseloads by 40 percent between 1996 and 2001. Child poverty rates simultaneously declined by 4 percentage points to their lowest level in 20 years. Some critics view these statistics with skepticism, doubting the adequacy of indicators to assess recipients' quality of life after moving off cash assistance and worrying that an inadequate cushion will leave governments unable to provide sufficient assistance in the event of a severe economic downturn."]

["Analysis of existing data on welfare recipients suggests that the proposal to increase work requirements may be very difficult for both states and TANF recipients to achieve. There are a number of reasons why work participation rates are not higher: 1) There is a lack of jobs for those with little education; 2) Welfare recipients face barriers to employment that need to be resolved; 3) Welfare recipients need better access to child care, especially for infants."]

["The rapid expansion in the use of cell phones and other mobile technology has led to concerns that their use in motor vehicles constitutes a growing highway safety threat. This information brief looks at issues surrounding this 21st century controversy and three ways of addressing them -- public education, technological improvements, and legislation."]

["The Bureau of State Audits presents its audit report concerning the Department of Transportation's revenues and expenditures authorized by the Seismic Retrofit Bond Act of 1996. This report concludes that the department has ensured that seismic retrofit projects funded with bond proceeds are consistent with the purpose of the Bond Act."]

["The latest study on secretin, touted a few years ago as a possible cure for autism, had failed to show that the digestive hormone has any significant impact on the disorder. The new study ... is another setback for parents whose hopes were raised by a 1998 study reporting marked improvement in the behavior of three young boys with autism after they received a slow injection of secretin as part of a diagnostic procedure for digestive problems." San Francisco Chronicle (December 12, 2002) F8.]

["Public health professionals should receive more training and education that emphasizes the relationships among multiple determinants affecting health.... Public health professionals must be trained to understand and apply new advances in science, information, and computer science technology to public health practice and learning. They also must be able to communicate effectively with multiple audiences and be able to incorporate the needs of culturally diverse groups in public health interventions and research." BNA's Health Care Policy Report (November 11, 2002) 1490. NOTE: Who Will Keep ... will be available for 3-day loan.]

["One of the hottest trends in real estate is the development of town centers and urban villages that include a mix of uses in a pedestrian friendly setting. This book ... [describes] the economic and social forces driving this trend; how these projects are being developed in master planned communities, infill, and redevelopment areas; special regulatory, market and finance issues; and how suburban planners and developers are pursuing town center concepts.... The book includes case studies and examples." NOTE: Place Making ... will be available for 3-day loan.]